This invention pertains to a clip adapted to retain sheet metal roofing or siding panels on a strucutre. At the same time, the clip permits thermal expansion and contraction of the panels.
Sheet metal roofing and siding have been used for many years and there are many means of fastening such sheets to a building structure. The following patents show various fastening methods: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,831,222; 3,388,518; 3,708,943; and 3,982,373.
The clip of the present invention is particularly adapted for use in the roofing or siding system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,028 (see also U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,758). The invention of that patent pertains to a method of roll forming adjacent metal siding or roofing sheets to lock them together in a weather tight manner, at the same time structurally interlocking the sheets with a metal clip attached to the underlying building structure. The clip disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,028 is a simplified, early version, whereas the clip of the present invention incorporates many advantages and improvements over the clips previously used. One such previously used clip is shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings (see also FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,517).